Rivers: 'I hate Washington'

Jon Lovitz earned rare media attention in April when he criticized President Barack Obama for wanting to increase taxes on the richest Americans. Now, Joan Rivers is seconding her fellow comedian.

In an interview with POLITICO, Rivers said, “I’m also being chastised because I work 18 hours a day and make a living. I feel that I’m part of the 2 percent and I’m really not interested in a woman who has 95 children and has 95 husbands. I think the Chinese have it right: You each have one children, two children and you take care of them.”

Rivers agreed with the notion that the president’s policies were unfairly harsh to the rich, saying, “I think if I work very hard, I should be able to gather the fruits of my labor. And I think if you’re not about to work, you should get minimal and leave me alone. I think if you don’t wear a helmet and you fall off your bike, you pay for the doctor.”

Despite her comments Rivers added that she’s not interested in “making a political statement” and explained why she hates politics so much.

“They’re all a bunch of garbage,” said Rivers. “I’m definitely in favor of a monarchy because they’re there, they look good, and they always have good gift shops when you leave the palace. … I feel that it’s just all about party affiliation and it’s all about voting the way your party wants to vote and it’s not at all about what we should be about.”

Rivers said that her hatred of politics explains, in part, why she considers her comedy “apolitical” — and that explains why some of her Washington speaking gigs (she’s in town tonight for a Q&A at the Sixth & I Synagogue to discuss her new book, “I Hate Everyone, Starting with Me”) are unique.

“They can get terribly disappointed because I’m very apolitical and, in D.C., they love politics. It’s what makes your town work. I couldn’t deal with it. … Washington will probably be the one place that nobody buys the book and that’s why I hate Washington.”

She also says she avoids political comedy “because every moron is doing it.” Every moron, that is, except Bill Maher, Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, whom she cites as exceptions to the rule.